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SFUSD agrees to partner with city to make at least one school site available as a staffed safe-sleeping site
Summary
The Board voted to partner with the City of San Francisco to identify district property — including outdoor or indoor areas where feasible — to host staffed, sanitized safe-sleeping sites for unsheltered people as part of COVID-19 mitigation. The sites must meet Department of Public Health guidance and be resourced by city funding.
The San Francisco Unified School District Board of Education voted April 27 to partner with the City and County of San Francisco to make at least one district property available as part of a coordinated effort to establish safe-sleeping sites for unsheltered people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The resolution, authored by President Mark Sanchez and Vice President Gabriela Lopez, asks the district to identify outdoor spaces and, where possible, indoor facilities equipped with restrooms and showers; requires any site to conform to San Francisco Department of Public Health guidance; and specifies that city funding must staff, resource and maintain the site. The resolution also calls for deep cleaning and a return to district use prior to schools reopening.
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, who authored a companion resolution at the Board of Supervisors, spoke at the meeting in support of the plan and said safe-sleeping sites would improve sanitation and social distancing in encampments. Community callers who live in affected neighborhoods urged the board to act quickly; others raised concerns about site safety and asked the district to make clear how student health and building sanitation will be protected when schools reopen.
District staff said the plan will follow an MOU process similar to prior joint-use agreements and that the city will be responsible for staffing, sanitation and utilities. Dawn (district facilities staff) said site walks and utility assessments would take place with Department of Public Works and other city partners to evaluate feasibility and safety. Everett Middle School was cited in discussion as a potential site in District 8 because of proximity to large encampments.
Board members emphasized that any district property would only be made available if the city supplied staffing, janitorial services and a public-health-compliant safety plan, and that the district would not open any site that could not be returned to safe use before students come back. The resolution passed by roll call.
What happens next: Staff will convene a site walk with city departments and return to the board with a joint-use MOU and implementation details. The resolution envisions city funding for 24/7 staffing, sanitation, and security at a site, and requires Department of Public Health best practices to be followed.
Provenance: Proposal introduced and read into the record (SEG 5244'1—); public comment and supervisor remarks (SEG 5256'1—); board discussion on implementation and vote (SEG 5640'1—).
